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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Post Yolanda Blues

It has been almost 2 weeks after Yolanda and I can't believe how so many lives have drastically changed. Looking back at all the pain and suffering I have seen and the magnitude of the destruction almost always brings me to tears.

Listening to how my family survived that "monster typhoon" and how mama was saying goodbye to my brother while papa was hugging them close as the strong winds slammed into our house is so heartbreaking. I could never imagine how devastating it was for them to see dead bodies amidst all the ruble. But the stories of how they managed to help our neighbors by taking shelter in our house, how lucky they were to find canned goods and a pack of chocolates washed into our backyard after the storm surge, and how just things seem perfectly to fall into place with God's grace.

I know our lives have been forever changed by Yolanda. I know how painful it is for papa to leave the home he worked so hard to build and the business he inherited from his father, but i guess for now it is the wisest thing to do.

I thank the Lord for giving me the chance to be with my family again, and I continue to pray for the safety of other relatives and friends who i still have not heard of. I also am grateful for my relatives, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends who have helped us one way or the other...

And to the home that has given me so many happy memories to look back to, "thank you" for being able to withstand that storm and saving my family and a few others. We have to leave Tacloban for now but I know that there is still hope out there... Tacloban will be able to rise again if we manage to put aside all political issues and work together to restore the city we grew up in